Air-lift.



R. N. WOOD.

AIR LIFT APPLIOATION FILEDSEPT. 1,1908.

Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

M W \P i 1.} |i 63.1.

INVENTOR B05677 AIM 150d.

BY f. /5

' TTORNEY Costa and State of California, have invented sists of a casting or foot-piece low upwardly. The foot-piece A has the purposes, such means UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT N. WOOD, 0F POINT RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB T0 ERNEST R,

I ALTO, CALIFORNIA.

AIR-LIFT.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Application filed September 1, 1908.

932,934. Patented Aug; 31, 1909.

Serial No. 451,157.

directed upwardly and toward the center and sides. The air is thus thoroughly and evenly distributed through the body of liquid,

To all whom Lt may concern- Be it known that I, Ronnnr N. Noon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Point Richmond, in the county of Contra and its inlets, back or downward pressure upon the incoming liquid is prevented, and the efficiency of the apparatus is greatly increased. The air thus introduced is given a uniform and even distribution, and is allowed to expand evenly and properly, thus lifting the liquid by its expansive force, and this even distribution of the air is an important feature of my invention, in conjunction with the prevention of back pressure.

In order to increase the efliciency of the apparatus, I may provide two or more similar lifts operating in conjunction, the arrangement of these being well shown in the horizontal section, Fig. 2. I

In some'cases, it'will be found desirable to arrange the lifting units in tandem, one above the other, each one operating independently," but the lifting effect of each reduces the downward pressure caused by the weight of the liquid above; thus the first one will permeate the body of liquid with the air,-and the lifting of this body reduces the pressure so that, the subsequent ones will have less pressure to overcome in their initial action.

The device is also very'servicjeable, because if the liquid should lower in the well, lower lifts can be operated independently, and'the upper ones remain inactive.-

The even distribution of the air through the body of liquid and aroundthe sides of the pipe, materially overcomes and reduces the loss by friction, and what is known as slippage, which occurs troduced in large and intermittent yolumes. The flow of liquid through the ej ect on pipe, is ordinarily more rapid in the center of the column by reason 0 the side friction, but. my device overcomes this in a large measure, and increases the volume and regularlty of the flow.

The interior of v made erfectly smooth and straight to comcide with the ejection pipe:

Having thus described my-invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isnew'and useful Improvements in Air-Lifts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a. means for raisin'g water in wells, and for like or equivalent being known as air lifts.

It consists in the combination of parts, and in details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical enlarged section 'of' the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a transverse section, showing a plurality of the lifts.- Fig. 3 is a. vertical section of the well, showing lifting units arranged serially.

It is the object of my invention to provide a. moreefiicient means of introducing air for lifting liquid in deep wells; meansfor releasing the air into the whole chamber or core, whereby a higher efficiency is provided, and back pressure upon theliquid is prevented. v

As shown in the drawing, the device con- A with which the inlet and dlscharge pipes are connected by nipples, orsin other suitable manner.

The lower or inlet tail-piece 2 is preferably made bell-shaped, converging from bepassage 3 made through it, and 4; is an enlarged section having its greatest diameter on a substantially central, horizontal plane, and converging in both directions to the diameter of the passage above and below. Through the lower inclined surface of this enlarged channel, a series of holes 5 are made; these openings connecting through passages 6 with an annular air passage 7 which is formed around the outer portion of thepart A, and which is supplied with air from a suitable compressor through the passage 8. The air is distributed'from this passage around the annular channel 7 and is delivered thence through the annular passages 6, and theopenings 5 toward the center of the water passage. The angle of these passageso may operatively be about 45 'de- -grees, more or less. The result will be that 1. In an air lift for liquids, a body or the jets of air are introduced from all points foot-piece having a conductin passage around the circumference of the pipe, and there-through, a surrounding c annelof smrrn, or PALO.

and by reason of the form of the chamber,

wlien the air is inthe foot-piece may be larger diameter converging upwardly and downwardl from its largest diameter, and integral with the liquid passage, an independent airchannel formed in the body of having a vertical centrally disposed pas- .sage,

the foot-piece, and passages opening directly from said air-channel into the lower beveled portion of the interior channel, said passages converging toward the center of the conducting pipe.

2. In an air lift for liquids, a foot-piece horizontal V-shaped enlargement formed in said passage, an annular tubular channel formed in the foot-piece below the enlargement, means for supplying said channel with air under pressure, and passages extending from said air passage into the interior enlargement, said passages conmerging upwardly.

3. In an air lift apparatus for liquids, a foot-piece having a' centrally disposed vertical' passage, an annular enlargement, the surfaces of which converge upwardly and downwardly to meet the contiguous ends of the liquid-passage, openings formed in the lower inclined surface of said channel, an annular air supplysurrounding the said enlargement having upwardly convergent connections with the openings of the annular channel whereby the air is delivered upwardly, the lowerv surface of said channel acting to prevent back pressure uponthe liquid.

4:: In an airlift for liquids, a foot-piece having a vertical central passage, an enlarged V-shaped channel converging upwardly and downwardly, from its largest diameter to a junction with the contiguous ends of the vertical passage, an annular airpassage surrounding the lower part of said channel having openings converging upwardly through the lower portion of the interior channel, and a bell-shaped or convergent tail-piece connecting with the lower end of said. device.

5. 'An air lift for liquid, said lift com-' prisin a plurality of vertical passages, each aving an annular enlarged channel convergent from its largest diameter to meet the contiguous edges of the liquid passage, and annular exterior channels, with means for supplying air under pressure thereto, and upwardly convergent passages connecting said air passages with the lower surfaces of the interior channel.

6. In an air lift for liquid, a series of independent conducting pipes, each having a foot piece with a vertical centrally disposed passage, a horizontal V-shaped enlargement formed in said passage, an annular tubular channel formedin the foot piece below'said enlargement, and means for introducing air under pressure into said channel, said pipes being arranged one above the other, and having downwardly divergent suction passages.

7. In an air lift for liquids, a vertical conducting pipe having an annular enlargement forming a shoulder or bench, an inclosed annular passage surrounding the pipe below the bench, an air supply passage opening into the annular passage, andopenings converging inwardly and upwardly from said passage through the bench.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT N. WOOD. Witnesses W. D. BOSWELL. J. H. GREGORY. 

